Shopping online set to be more popular than the high street

Many things have taken their toll on the high street recently. No town centre was left unaffected by the recession as stores simply could not afford to stay open. Brands such as MFI, Woolworths and Borders vanished from the high street and were not replaced. Town centres were left like ghost towns as empty shops littered the streets.

The country then faced the coldest weather in recent years. This meant lack of stock in stores, consumers unable to go shopping and staff unable to get into work. The winter weather ensured that just as the country was coming out of recession, consumers were still not flocking to the stores.

Online, however, life couldn’t be sweeter. Budget aware consumers turned to the internet and discount vouchers and discount codes sites such as VoucherSeeker in order to save money during the recession and to shop without leaving their homes in the colder weather.

"Consumers are turning away from the hassle of the high street," states Duke Tanson, VoucherSeeker Director "Instead they are going online, getting Vodafone promotional codes (http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/voucher-codes/64728/vodafonepromotionalcodes), and Currys discount codes (http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/voucher-codes/76737/currys-discount-codes.html), for money off items and saving a fortune."

Research by Likemind and Vision Critical found that 48% of people felt they got a better service online than they did on the high street, and just 8% more people are set to shop in store this year. The main factors which seem to put consumers off when shopping on the high street include lack of stock, lack of staff, queues and busy shopping centres. Meanwhile on voucher sites, consumers simply shop online and add their promotional code in to get their discount.

Over recent years internet shopping has increasingly offered consumers a more flexible way to shop. Busy consumers can shop online for groceries, get a voucher code for money off and get these delivered, saving time and energy. Many retailers offer discount vouchers for money off and free delivery some even enabling consumers to pick a delivery date and time to ensure that they get their package at a time which is convenient to them.

The ease of use of the internet was evident over the Christmas period. Many retailers reported that they could not afford to hire extra staff which resulted in long shop queues and lack of stock. Due to this and the dread of hitting the Christmas high streets, in 2009 7 in 10 people planned to buy Christmas presents online, which was 46% more than the year before, according to research by Deloitte. Not only this, but 75% of retailers stated online sales for 2009 increased as the ease of use for shopping online became evident.

The internet is also a good research tool for consumers. Not only can consumers compare prices for products and get money off using discount codes, they can also read consumer product and service reviews in order to help make their purchasing decision. In fact, according to a survey by Brand Reputation, 84% of consumers now check web reviews online before purchasing a product.

Online shopping is becoming the shopping channel of choice for many consumers. The internet offers consumers not only convenience but also voucher codes from sites such as VoucherSeeker (http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/vouchercodes) for money off the products they are interested in. Consumers can compare prices for products online and also read product and service reviews in order to help them make a purchasing decision. Whilst the high street was deeply affected by both the recession and cold winter conditions, the online world remained active.

About VoucherSeeker

http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk is a leading UK voucher codes website. It features all the latest vouchers, voucher codes and discount codes from a wide range of shops and top brands. Users can use the site to find the latest discount vouchers and promotional codes to save money on many products and services. VoucherSeeker also provides its users with details of all the latest sales and promotions.

For further information, please contact Deborah Read at VoucherSeeker: email: deborah.read@clickangel.co.uk, direct line: +44 113 380 0891.

VoucherSeeker® and ClickAngel® are registered trademarks of ClickAngel Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.